Ambassador Dato' Tan Yang Thai: Malaysian people always stand by the people and Government of Vietnam

Malaysian Ambassador to Vietnam Dato' Tan Yang Thai in an interview with the World and Vietnam Report. (Photo: Thanh Long)

On the morning of November 23, at the Diplomatic Corps Area in Van Phuc in Hanoi, the International Culinary Culture Festival 2025 themed "Joining Hands to Support People Overcoming Typhoons and Floods" officially opened under the patronage of Madame Le Nguyet Anh, spouse of Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung.

This year's event was organized on a larger scale, attracting numerous foreign affairs agencies, international organizations, businesses, and the expatriate community in Hanoi. Not only a venue to showcase global culinary excellence, the festival also conveyed a profound humanitarian message: Spreading the spirit of sharing and joining hands to support the provinces heavily affected by typhoons and floods.

The International Culinary Culture Festival has long become an annual activity with the participation of many diplomatic missions in Hanoi. Malaysian Ambassador Dato' Tan Yang Thai stated that the event is an effort by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the diplomatic community to contribute to charitable activities. This year, most of the funds raised are dedicated to supporting flood victims in the Central region.

"The people of Malaysia always stand by the people and Government of Vietnam. We believe that together we will overcome difficulties and become stronger," the Ambassador emphasized.

Besides the meaningful message of solidarity, Ambassador Dato' Tan Yang Thai affirmed that the festival is an important opportunity to promote international culinary culture to the people of Hanoi.

"Typically, people only see diplomatic delegations or Ambassadors traveling around, with 'flags flying high', but rarely have the chance to truly understand those countries," he shared. Therefore, this event becomes a rare occasion for people to access and explore the cultures of different nations through widely showcased and introduced cuisine.

The booth of the Malaysian Embassy in Vietnam. (Photo: Thanh Long)

At this year's festival, Malaysia introduced familiar traditional dishes such as nasi lemak, satay, and the famous sweet milk tea teh tarik. According to the Ambassador, these are dishes closely associated with the daily life of Malaysians, and sharing these signature dishes with the Vietnamese public is essentially building a cultural bridge between the two peoples.

Above all, Ambassador Dato' Tan Yang Thai believes that cuisine is one of the most effective means to enhance mutual understanding between nations.

"Through cuisine, we connect with each other more easily. We are always curious about what other countries eat daily, what their culinary culture is like. This festival provides a wonderful opportunity for everyone to taste each other's dishes, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of the culture and people of each country," the Malaysian Ambassador emphasized.

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